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News•Feb 27, 2026
News: Discovery Global, Paramount, Atlanta Braves and More
Warner Bros. Discovery will abandon the planned Discovery Global spinoff if its pending merger with Paramount is finalized, keeping TNT Sports under the combined umbrella with CBS Sports. Paramount, after raising its offer to $31 per share, reaffirmed confidence in a long‑term NFL partnership despite the league’s equity stake. The Atlanta Braves announced BravesVision, a self‑run streaming platform, after parting ways with Main Street Sports, leveraging their large local TV market. Additional updates include new AI features at Fox Sports and expanded ESPN deals.
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 26, 2026
NBC’s “Sunday Night Basketball” Stronger in Olympic-Adjacent Return
NBC’s "Sunday Night Basketball" returned alongside the Winter Olympics and posted a multi‑year high audience. The Celtics‑Lakers matchup earned a 2.5 Nielsen rating, 4.52 million viewers on NBC and 5.6 million when Telemundo and streaming data are added. This marks the largest...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 25, 2026
Bettman Seeks Better Timeslot for Next Olympic Hockey Final
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman urged a later start time for the next Olympic men’s hockey final after the 2026 gold‑medal game aired at 8 AM ET, the earliest since Sochi 2014. The match drew 18.6 million viewers, far below the 28 million who...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 25, 2026
Rare Michigan-Duke Clash Delivers Latest Big College Hoops Audience
The Michigan‑Duke men’s basketball game delivered an average 2.0 rating and 4.32 million viewers on ESPN, peaking at 5.4 million. This made it the largest ESPN‑network audience for a men’s game since the 2019 Duke‑North Carolina showdown and the seventh‑most‑watched ever on...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 19, 2026
Super Bowl Audience Revised Upward
Nielsen announced that the final audience metrics for Super Bowl 60 have been revised upward to a 39.7 rating and 125.6 million viewers, up from the originally reported 39.4 rating and 124.9 million viewers. The adjustment stems from a Big Data provider’s...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 19, 2026
Daytona 500 Audience Rebounds Despite Competition
The Daytona 500 on FOX rebounded strongly, delivering a 3.8 rating and 7.49 million average viewers—the highest since 2023. Ratings rose 8% and total viewership climbed 11% versus last year, despite competing against the Winter Olympics and the NBA All-Star Game....
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 19, 2026
News: Netflix, ESPN, Jalen Rose and More
Netflix co‑CEO Ted Sarandos said the streamer remains open to acquiring additional NFL and other sports rights if the economics are favorable, as the league begins early talks on future media packages. ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro reaffirmed that the network...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 15, 2026
Linear Leads Way as NBA Remains up at All-Star Break
NBA viewership surged entering the All-Star break, with linear TV partners driving the rebound. Average audience across NBCUniversal, ESPN/ABC and Prime Video hit 1.80 million, a 16% year‑over‑year rise and the strongest mid‑season average since 2018. NBC, returning to broadcast after...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 13, 2026
NBA Local Package Could Come as Soon as Next Season
The NBA is accelerating plans to bundle and sell a centralized local media rights package as early as the 2026‑27 season. The imminent collapse of Main Street Sports Group, which operates the FanDuel RSNs, will free up local rights for...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 12, 2026
NBC Olympics Viewership Again Benefitting From Combined Windows
NBC’s strategy of merging live afternoon and primetime windows has propelled viewership for the Milan‑Cortina Winter Games, averaging 26.5 million viewers across its platforms—almost twice Beijing’s 13.7 million. The approach mirrors the Paris Summer Olympics rollout, allowing NBC to count daytime “Milan...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 11, 2026
News: NHL Media Rights, Paramount-WBD, Angels and More
The NHL has accelerated talks with ESPN and TNT Sports to renegotiate its U.S. media rights, aiming to lock in deals before the NFL’s upcoming rights cycle. Paramount refreshed its hostile tender offer for Warner Bros. Discovery, adding a $0.25‑per‑share...
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 11, 2026
Super Bowl Rating Back Under 40 as Ho-Hum Game Posts Rare Decline
Super Bowl LVIII, featuring the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, recorded a 39.4 household rating and 124.93 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, marking a 6 % drop in rating and 2 % decline in total audience from the previous year....
By Sports Media Watch
News•Feb 10, 2026
News: YouTube TV, MLB.TV, NFL and More
YouTube TV announced a dedicated sports bundle priced at $65 a month, a 22% discount from its base plan, with a promotional $55 rate for new subscribers during the first year. MLB.TV subscriptions will now be sold through the ESPN...
By Sports Media Watch